Five Springboks who may never play for South Africa again

The Springboks have named a 46-man squad for the 2026 Nations Championship that is – with the exception of the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – as deep and as loaded as any Rassie Erasmus has assembled.

With England, Scotland and Wales all to come before the Greatest Rivalry Series against the All Blacks, South Africa’s embarrassment of riches across every position is plain to see. But with that depth comes brutal selection reality.

A lengthy injury list has forced Erasmus to blood new faces and hand extended runs to fringe players and for a handful of seasoned Springboks, the door that has been closed may never reopen.

Here are five who could have played their last Test for South Africa.

1. Faf de Klerk
Faf de Klerk turned out for South Africa against the Barbarians on Saturday, but his omission from the Nations Championship squad tells its own story.

The 34-year-old has been one of the great Springbok scrumhalves of his generation, his combative, high-energy style a perfect fit for Erasmus’s system. But his move to Japan has seen him fall well down the pecking order, and with Embrose Papier, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams and Herschel Jantjies all ahead of him in the current squad, the path back to a matchday 23 looks impossibly narrow.

Saturday may well have been his farewell in green and gold.

2. Bongi Mbonambi
At 35, Bongi Mbonambi’s latest injury blow could prove to be the one he does not come back from at international level.

The Sharks’ poor form in recent seasons has also done him no favours in terms of keeping his name in the selection conversation. With Johan Grobbelaar, Malcolm Marx and André-Hugo Venter all in the current squad, Mbonambi faces a big task to force his way back in. That said, you could see Rassie breaking the ‘in case of emergency’ glass to parachute Bongi back into a major tournament.

3. Makazole Mapimpi
Makazole Mapimpi was stretchered off against Benetton in May, and at 35, the clock is working against him. The two-time World Cup winner has been one of the most lethal finishers in Springbok history, but a questionable disciplinary record has not helped his cause, and Erasmus has shown he is not afraid to leave big names out when form, fitness or conduct gives him reason to.

The current outside back stocks of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Canan Moodie, Edwill van der Merwe, Jaco Williams and Aphelele Fassi, with the injured Ethan Hooker waiting in the wings, no pun intended.

You can’t see Mapimpi breaking back in.

4. Lukhanyo Am
In 2021, Lukhanyo Am was arguably the best centre in the game. His defensive intelligence and quiet effectiveness in attack made him a Springbok cornerstone. How things have changed.

Am has not featured for the Boks since November 2024, and troublesome injuries haven’t helped his case in the meantime. He turned out for South Africa A against Zimbabwe on Saturday, a telling demotion.

Still only 32, the door is not completely shut, but with Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Andre Esterhuizen all ahead of him in the current pecking order, a Test return is far, far from guaranteed, and a host of rookie centres biting at his heels won’t make it any easier.

5. Kwagga Smith
Of the five names on this list, Kwagga Smith is certainly the most likely to return. His hybrid versatility across the back row and his ability to impact a game off the bench made him a near-indispensable member of the Bomb Squad.

Erasmus himself acknowledged as much in his June injury briefing, confirming that Smith and RG Snyman are the only long-term injured players he expects back in 2027.

But Smith will be 34 by the time he returns to action, and in his absence, the likes of Cameron Hanekom, Evan Roos, Paul de Villiers and Vincent Tshituka have been given every opportunity to make the position their own, while ‘utility forwards’ like Riley Norton, Marco van Staden and Jan-Hendrik Wessels will have the ability to fill the hybrid role Rassie loves so much.

Whether sentiment and proven quality can overcome age and a lengthy layoff remains the question. Odds are in his favour, but it is also possible that he’s played his last game as Bok.